Alex Regan
BBC News

A mural to King Richard III has been painted in Leicester in a bid to attract shoppers as the UK comes out of lockdown.

Leicester City Council has spent £17,000 on the artwork, which depicts the monarch at the Battle of Bosworth, and several vinyls for shop shutters in King Richards Road.

The painting, created in a collaboration with local artist MONO and art collective GraffWerk, is on the side of Bazaar Mart.

Image source, Leicester City Council

Bazaar Mart owner Emmalese Johnson said: "I am so thrilled with the way the mural has turned out and so proud to have it on the side of our shop.

"It has already attracted people to the area who stop and have a look."

The shutter vinyls are set to be installed across the street next week, the city council said.

King Richard III's bones were found in a car park in Leicester in 2012.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

Amazon is to take on 700 staff at a new warehouse in Hinckley.

The online retail giant is due to open the new "fulfilment centre" this summer at Hinckley Park, an industrial and manufacturing site near to junction 1 of the M69.

Image source, Reuters

Amazon is opening three other warehouses in Dartford, Gateshead and Swindon as it adds a further 10,000 staff to its UK workforce.

A parcel centre in Doncaster is also due to open and a number of corporate roles are being created in Cambridge, Edinburgh, London and Manchester.

Amy Orton
Local Democracy Reporter

More cases of the Indian Covid variant have been found in Leicester, but public health bosses believe they have the situation under control.

Three cases of the strain first detected in India were reported in the city at the end of last month, and since then a small number of further cases have been identified.

The cases can all be linked back to travel and so instead of surge testing, targeted testing of their close contacts is being carried out.

Image source, Reuters

Leicester's director of public health, Professor Ivan Browne, said: "Having been notified at the end of April of our first positive cases where a variant for investigation was found, we expected more cases to follow, and that is what's happened.

"There is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness or increased risk of mortality."

The city council's own test and trace team has been enlisted to go out and talk to people who have tested positive to check they are isolating and have the advice and support they need.

Cheltenham and South Derbyshire are the first places to launch coffee pod kerbside collections.

BBC Weather

It's a cloudy start with some occasional light showers, but it may brighten up in the afternoon.

The weekend is looking equally patchy, with a mixture of cloud, light rain and some sunny spells, and temperatures reaching no higher than 14C (57F).

For Leicester City fans at the FA Cup final on Saturday - some light showers and highs of 13C (55F) are expected at Wembley at kick-off.

Image source, Richard B

The building comes complete with an air tube messaging system and emergency broadcast studio.

A charity warns the pandemic has isolated children, making them "more susceptible" to grooming.

Gary Lineker, Mark Selby and Emile Heskey are among the stars hoping for FA Cup glory for the team.

The girl was pronounced dead at the scene after being hit by a car towing a caravan.

William Christmas, 19, died of serious head injuries at the scene of the crash in Nottingham last year.

Sandish Shoker
BBC News

A man arrested in connection with an investigation into the death of a woman in Blaby has been released on bail.

Jacqueline Murphy, 63, died after suffering serious injuries at a house in Chapel Street at 22:30 on Monday.

Mrs Murphy was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary where she later died.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

Leicestershire Police said a 62-year-old man, who is known to Mrs Murphy, was arrested in connection with the investigation but has since been released on conditional police bail pending further enquiries.

Det Insp Kenny Henry said officers were still keen to speak to anyone who has information that could help their investigation.

He said: "While we understand the incident happened inside a property, anyone who was in the area on Monday afternoon or evening may have information that could help our investigation."

The cone-shaped clouds become tornadoes if they reach the ground.

The opening day of Essex's County Championship fixture against Derbyshire is washed out at Chelmsford.

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

A woman who died after suffering serious injuries at a house in Blaby has been named by police as 63-year-old Jacqueline Murphy.

Leicestershire Police said officers were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service to an address on Chapel Street at about 22:30 on Monday.

Image source, Leicestershire Police

The ambulance crew took Mrs Murphy to Leicester Royal Infirmary but she died later.

A 62-year-old man, who was known to Mrs Murphy, has been arrested in connection with her death and remains in police custody.

A spokesperson for Leicestershire Police said the force could not reveal what offence he had been arrested on suspicion of, for "operational reasons".

Officers said a cordon remains in place at the property and inquiries are ongoing.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

An investigation into a fatal fire at a flat in Derbyshire has concluded the most probable cause was a naked flame making contact with "combustible materials".

Firefighters pulled a 65-year-old man from the blaze in Brentwood Avenue, Bamford, at 07:14 on Monday but he died at the scene.

Image source, Google

Station manager Lee Williams said firefighters and community safety officers would be spending time in the Bamford area over the next few days to provide advice and reassurance to residents and school pupils.

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

The window for Leicester City fans to take their Covid tests before travelling to Wembley for the FA Cup final will open at 14:15 today.

More than 6,000 Foxes fans have tickets for Saturday's final but will not be allowed entry without confirmation of a negative lateral flow test carried out at a community testing site.

Image source, PA Media

Leicestershire County Council said it was making more rapid result tests available to accommodate the extra demand over the next 48 hours.

Mike Sandys, the county's director of public health, said: "There's just one final step for fans to secure their spot at Wembley - and that's a negative lateral flow test.

"We've made additional slots available and are working with the city council to make sure fans have easy access to a test."

The final will see Leicester City take on Chelsea at 17:15 on Saturday with about 22,000 spectators inside the stadium.

A family who built a bike shed without planning permission may be forced to pull it down.

Alex Regan
BBC News

Firefighters from three counties worked together to put out a boat fire in Derbyshire.

Crews were called to Sawley Marina at 09:53 on Wednesday after a fire broke out on a moored boat.

Teams from Long Eaton, Leicestershire's Castle Donington, and Nottinghamshire's Highfields fire station worked together to put out the blaze.

Image source, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service

One observer credited the firefighters with stopping the flames from spreading to other boats.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

Image source, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service

Gavin Bevis
BBC News

People in Long Eaton have been urged to take a Covid test if they display lesser known symptoms of the virus.

It follows an outbreak at the town's Wilsthorpe School, which contributed to the borough of Erewash having the highest coronavirus infection rate in England.

Derbyshire County Council said many of those with a connection to the school had tested positive after experiencing different symptoms to the well-known signs like high temperature and a dry cough.

The extra symptoms have included stomach ache, sore throat, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, sickness, headaches, joint pain, tiredness, runny nose and sneezing.

Anyone displaying any of those symptoms has been advised to take a precautionary PCR test rather than a lateral flow test, at the West Park Leisure Centre testing site.

Wilsthorpe School was closed last week after more than 100 pupils and staff tested positive but has reopened this week.

Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams heads an impressive array of talent competing at this year's Nottingham Open.